


Praedonum

by eorumverba



Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2016-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-31 03:36:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8562085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eorumverba/pseuds/eorumverba
Summary: He’d known Jace when he still called himself Jonathan Lightwood, when he had been as pure as a child - with an infamous pirate for a father - could be. He’d known Jace before he’d run away and changed his name. Jace Herondale had quickly risen in rank from being virtually unknown to becoming captain of the Morning Star in just a few short years, and Alec wasn’t surprised at all.





	

Alec often wishes he’d never met Jace Herondale.

He’d known Jace when he still called himself Jonathan Lightwood, when he had been as pure as a child - with an infamous pirate for a father - could be. He’d known Jace before he’d run away and changed his name. Jace Herondale had quickly risen in rank from being virtually unknown to becoming captain of the Morning Star in just a few short years, and Alec wasn’t surprised at all.

Jace had a devilish charm about him, could bend even the most heartless to his will with just a few honeyed words and meaningful looks (a bitten lower lip flirting with a grin that held the promise of something dangerous and forbidden and altogether _worth it_ , eyes dark and lidded and veiled by mussed up hair.) No, Alec wasn’t surprised, wasn’t fazed, when he was told that he was going to be in charge of hunting Jace down.

Sebastian Verlac was a very distant cousin, and although they’d gone to school together, Sebastian had never met Jace - by the time Sebastian had transferred over, Jace had dropped out to become a pirate. Alec and Sebastian weren’t especially close, Sebastian wasn’t soft on Alec just because they were related, and especially hadn’t promoted Alec to first mate because of that. Alec had proved himself time and time again, hadn’t even wanted to take the promotion and all the responsibilities that came with it.

But he had, and that was that.

So here he is, standing on deck with Sebastian just next to him. There had been word that the Morning Star was just ahead, and here she is in all her glory. Impossible to mistake - her body scrubbed white, her sails full gold. For once, Alec is grateful for Jace’s conspicuous nature; it had made him painfully easy to find. But then, Jace wasn’t stupid. If they’d found him, it wasn’t because of their own skill, it was because Jace wanted to be found.

That, or Jace was just arrogant and thought he could get out alive if they boarded.

Alec snorts as he raises his silver gilded telescope to his eye; it was most likely the latter. There are people milling about on the deck of the Morning Star, Alec can see men climbing the ropes and cleaning the deck and there’s Jace, peering down at something with a girl who’s hair was like red fire. Jace suddenly looks up, and through the telescope, he meets Alec’s eyes. Jace’s widen in surprise; genuine delight covers his face, and he waves. Alec lowers his telescope with a noise that’s something between an annoyed groan and an amused sign. Even after so long, Jace is still the same.

“We can board,” Alec says to Sebastian, tearing his eyes away from the Morning Star. Jace will let them board without hassle, judging by how happy he’d been when he saw Alec.

Sebastian is staring at him, gaze cold, calculated, but when Alec raises a brow, he shakes his head. “Do you remember who’s side you’re on?” It isn’t really a question.

Alec just nods.

Boarding is, as expected, easier than he’d expected. When Sebastian sets foot on the deck, a cutlass flashes silver through the air and it’s the girl from before. “Jace only wants to see him.” The girl points at Alec, keeps her sword to Sebastian’s throat.

“I’ll do it.” Alec says it before Sebastian can speak, pushes around him and doesn’t flinch as the blade is pressed to the small of his back.

The girl is leading him down below, to a beautifully shined oak door. She knocks and then disappears, and Jace opens the door, that familiar smirk flirting with his lips as he moves aside to let Alec in.

“How long has it been?” Jace passes Alec and pours two cups full of what is likely rum. Alec declines the drink offered to him and sits, and Jace shrugs, knocks it back. Alec can’t help staring at his Adam’s apple as it bobs.

“Years. We were twelve.”

Jace nods and sits on his desk, leans forward and just stares, and Alec finds himself doing the same. Jace is still the same - just taller, leaner. His hair falls to his collarbones, dirty blonde and darkened by the sun. His skin is sun-darkened and battle-scared, there’s a white scratch curling across the corner of his lower lip and down to his chin.

“You look the same. Just…stuffier.”

“Why am I here?”

Jace laughs, pushes his hair from his eyes. The movement makes his loose white shirt fall to one side, exposing sharp collarbones and what looks like a tattoo. “Because I missed you.”

“Jace.”

“Jonathan,” Jace says smoothly, “only for you.”

“Jonathan, then. Why am I here?”

“I missed you-”

“Then why did you leave?”

Jace falls silent at that, shakes his head. “You’re still upset-”

“You were my brother, my best friend, my-” Alec reigns his emotions in and lets all his anger out in one sigh, “I _needed_ you, and you weren’t there.”

Jace at least has the nerve to look guilty, but the emotion is only there for s fraction of a second. “Do you _really_ think I wanted to leave? Leave the Institute, leave Izzy, leave _you_?”

“But you did. You could have _told_ me-”

“You would have told the soldiers, you know you would have.”

“I-”

“Imagine me being like you. Stuffed up and following each order to the tee - you know I wouldn’t be able to survive like that. You know me best, you know what - who - I need.” Jace’s gaze is no less than smoldering now, and Alec does know.

He doesn’t flinch as Jace slips off the desk and into Alec’s lap, doesn’t turn away when Jace lets their lips collide in a bruising kiss, doesn’t protest when Jace moves back to pull his shirt from his body.

Because when they finish, they’ll only be enemies again.


End file.
